The Raiders need to find an “alpha” on their defense this offseason. Someone that defenses have to game plan around and quarterbacks must focus on during every snap. They haven’t had that player since Khalil Mack in 2017 and it’s time for Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden to find their difference-maker.
One player in the 2021 NFL Draft that might fit that profile is Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Despite less than ideal size for a linebacker (6’1, 216 pounds), “JOK” has elite speed and his coverage ability makes him a rare linebacker prospect.
In Todd McShay’s most recent mock draft at ESPN, he gave the Raiders Owusu-Koramoah. Here is what he said about the potential pairing between the All-American and the Las Vegas Raiders:
“The Raiders spent last spring bringing in Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski at linebacker, but the unit didn’t help a defense that surrendered the eighth-most yards per game in 2020, and Raekwon McMillan is now a free agent. Owusu-Koramoah gives the Raiders a little bit of everything and something they don’t already have in that LB corps. He can play off the ball in overhang, he can cover and he can rush the QB. This is a true value pick in the middle of the first round and the Notre Dame game-breaker provides real versatility to a defense that is begging for help.”
Owusu-Koramoah is the modern-day linebacker in the NFL. He can legitimately cover slot receivers and his speed allows him to make plays from sideline to sideline. Adding a player like him to this defense would drastically upgrade their athleticism and he is a perfect weakside linebacker in Gus Bradley’s defense.
It remains to be seen if Mayock and Gruden want to invest more into their linebacker corps this offseason, but Owusu-Kormoah is a playmaker that could be a Pro Bowl defender sooner rather than later.
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